


from eden

by tiffaniesblews



Series: ATLA Tumblr Prompts [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ember Island (Avatar), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Late Night Conversations, Light Angst, implied Katara / Zuko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26001046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiffaniesblews/pseuds/tiffaniesblews
Summary: Now that she was alone, Katara remembered how angry she had been feeling today. Time was not on their side. It never was on their side. Sozin’s Comet was still coming, and there was no way of knowing if they could stop Fire Lord Ozai. what angered Katara was that there was no solid plan, no written statement telling everyone what to do or where to be. Her father was no longer with them, hopefully somewhere far away from the Fire Nation. There was so much to plan, and Katara was cleaning dirty socks.Angry, she stomped down the hall, making her way back towards the room she shared with Suki. As she walked, a door to her right opened. Zuko stood staring at her, leaning up against the door frame as he watched her.“What?” Katara snapped at him.Zuko raised his eyebrow. “Everything okay?”“Yes, fine,” Katara retorted, about to turn around and keep walking. Zuko reached out to her again. Just feeling his reassuring hand on her shoulder caused Katara to stop and take a deep breath.“Something is bothering you,” he told her.~~~Katara is angry, but the only person who seems to notice is Zuko.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: ATLA Tumblr Prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849720
Comments: 5
Kudos: 107





	from eden

**Author's Note:**

> Title of work comes from Hozier's "From Eden"
> 
> Tumblr prompt: "Don't give me space. That's the last thing I want from you."
> 
> No one asked for it, but I wanted to write, so here's the prompt.

Katara was angry, but she wasn’t exactly sure why. 

Maybe it was the fact that no one would help her with dinner, or the fact that she had to do laundry alone, or the war that was raging around her that she was currently hiding from. It didn’t help that she was taking care of everyone else on top of training the Avatar in waterbending. 

Perhaps she did know why she was so angry all the time. 

Though Ember Island was different from the Western Air Temple, Katara was still very much in charge and the stress of Sozin’s Comet’s inevitable appearance was slowly starting to get to her. Luckily, some of her built up anger was dissipated after her encounter with Yon Rha. Still, everything else happening around her continued to add to her stress.

On their third night on Ember Island, after dinner, Katara began cleaning as she always did. She gathered the plates and the utensils, walking them over to the fountain that was placed conveniently in the courtyard. A pile of laundry already lay next to it, ready to be washed. Sighing, she looked at the chores before her, wondering if for once she could just make someone else do it. Then again, Katara realized she never exactly asked for help; it was implied that Katara would be the one to clean. Grabbing a plate, someone approached her from behind. 

“Mind if I help?” 

Katara turned around, Zuko standing in front of her, still awkward as can be. She smiled at him and nodded, and he made his way over to sit next to her. He grabbed a plate himself and placed it in the water. 

“So how come you’re the one who always does the dishes?” Zuko asked her, rubbing off some leftover fruit with his hand. 

Katara shrugged. “I’ve been in charge of chores since the beginning. Everyone is just used to it by now.”

“That doesn’t seem very fair,” Zuko replied, shaking his head. 

“Guess not,” Katara agreed. 

They continued washing in silence, making a pile of the cleaned plates on the fountain wall. Once the dishes were complete, the unlikely pair moved on to the laundry. 

“Remind me to buy soap when we go to the market,” Katara said as she scrubbed a pair of Sokka’s dirty socks. “We’re out.”

“Is going to the market a really good idea?” Zuko asked, looking at her. 

“As long as it’s me and Suki, we should be fine,” Katara stated, waving her hand along the now clean socks and pulling the moisture from them. 

Zuko just nodded in return. 

He didn’t say much to her as they continued cleaning, but Katara tried to keep the conversation going. 

“Aang has really been improving with his firebending,” she told Zuko, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. He just nodded in agreement. “What are you planning on teaching him next?"

“I’m not sure,” he mumbled, holding up one of Toph’s shirts for Katara to dry. “He has the basics down, but I think I want to focus on those a bit longer.”

Katara moved her hand along the shirt, pulling the moisture again before Zuko folded it neatly. She agreed with Zuko: Aang still needed to focus on the basics. Still, there wasn’t much time.

With two people, everything was cleaned quickly. Zuko gathered the clean plates and utensils, Katara the clean clothes. They made their way into the house, Zuko dropping the clean plates in the front room where Katara had them stored. She handed Zuko his clean clothes then made her way towards the bedrooms to hand out the rest. 

“Would you like some more help?” Zuko asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I can take half if you want.”

Katara just shook her head. “No, get some rest. You and Aang are training early tomorrow morning. I don’t mind handling this. I always do.”

Zuko studied her, eyes full of concern. 

“Zuko, really, it’s okay,” she told him, feeling herself flush. “I can handle this.”

He took his hand off her shoulder and shrugged. Taking one last look at her, he made his way back to his room, clothes tucked under his arm. 

Katara just sighed and made her way towards the rooms after him. She entered each room carefully, trying not to wake anyone who was already asleep. Toph was wrapped in her blankets on the floor, snoring slightly. Katara gently placed the clothes next to her. Sokka was also asleep when she made her way to him, but he stirred slightly when she walked in. When he spotted her, he gave her a look of appreciation before laying back down. Suki was still awake, practicing some moves. She just nodded to Katara in thanks, who nodded back. When she got to Aang’s room, she hesitated slightly. Katara could hear Aang pacing inside. Taking a breath, she knocked lightly.

“Come in,” came Aang’s call.

Katara opened the door, his clean clothes held out in front of her. When he spotted her, he relaxed.

“Oh, hey, Katara,” Aang said. “Thanks for cleaning these.”

“No problem,” Katara replied as Aang took the clothes from her. “Everything okay?”

“Hm?” Aang asked, looking up at her after placing his clothes on the bed. “Fine, just thinking that’s all.”

“Anything I can help with?” Katara asked him, still standing by the door. 

Aang shook his head. “No, I’m okay. I need to get some sleep. Zuko and I are training tomorrow and I really need to advance.”

Katara nodded understanding. “Okay, well, good night then.”

“Night, Katara,” Aang said.

Katara walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. She wanted to help Aang in any way that she could, but when he was overthinking, he tended to close people off. Maybe she could talk to Zuko and Toph and see if they could give Aang a day of rest soon. That might help him relax. Then again, she knew what both of them would say: there’s not enough time. 

Now that she was alone, Katara remembered how angry she had been feeling today. Time was not on their side. It never was on their side. Sozin’s Comet was still coming, and there was no way of knowing if they could stop Fire Lord Ozai. what angered Katara was that there was no solid plan, no written statement telling everyone what to do or where to be. Her father was no longer with them, hopefully somewhere far away from the Fire Nation. There was so much to plan, and Katara was cleaning dirty socks.

Angry, she stomped down the hall, making her way back towards the room she shared with Suki. As she walked, a door to her right opened. Zuko stood staring at her, leaning up against the door frame as he watched her.

“What?” Katara snapped at him. 

Zuko raised his eyebrow. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, fine,” Katara retorted, about to turn around and keep walking. Zuko reached out to her again. Just feeling his reassuring hand on her shoulder caused Katara to stop and take a deep breath.

“Something is bothering you,” he told her. “It was bothering you when we were cleaning too.”

“It’s nothing,” Katara told him, now turning to face him, causing his hand to drop off her shoulder. 

“Okay, then, I’ll give you some space,” Zuko replied. He turned around, opening his bedroom door.

“Wait,” Katara exclaimed, voice raising higher than usual. Zuko turned around to face her. “Don’t give me space. That’s the last thing I want with you.”

Zuko raised his eyebrow once again, but nodded. He took her hand in his and led her outside, towards one of the grassy areas near the house. Katara much preferred the beach, but she watched Zuko as he sat on the ground and lay down on his back, hands under head. When he didn’t say anything, Katara lay down next to him, staring up at the night sky. 

“So why are we out here?” Katara asked him, feeling the slight wind chill on the air. Shivering, she moved a bit close to Zuko, who radiated heat. 

“You don’t want space, but you don’t want to talk,” Zuko told her, moving towards her so that they were now pushed together. “So I brought you out here just to relax.”

“Oh,” Katara replied. “Okay.”

They lay there quietly, not saying anything. At first, Katara thought she would have been annoyed with the silence, but as time passed Katara found herself enjoying the silent company. If anything, just Zuko’s company was keeping her sane. Yet Zuko was going through so much just to help her, perhaps he will listen to her.

“I wish it was a full moon,” Katara said finally, breaking the silence. 

“Why?” Zuko asked her, turning to look at her.

Katara shrugged. “Because full moons are beautiful.”

“That’s true,” Zuko agreed, looking back towards the sky to stare at the half moon.

“Did we ever tell you about Yue?” Katara asked.

“Who?”

“Yue. She was the princess of the Northern Water Tribe,” Katara explained. 

“The girl with the white hair in the Spirit Oasis?” Zuko asked.

“That’s her!” Katara exclaimed. “Well, when she was born, she was born very sick and with her eyes closed. The healers tried everything but could not save her. Desperate, her parents brought her to the Spirit Oasis, placing her in the water where the Moon Spirit gave her life, which is why her hair turned white.”

“Okay…”

“Well, after Zhao killed the Moon Spirit, Yue gave her life to the spirit in order to save the world,” Katara told him. “So, basically, she is the Moon Spirit.”

“My first girlfriend turned into the moon!” Zuko exclaimed, sitting up eagerly. When Katara gave him a stranger look, he just said, “Your brother. He told me that. I didn’t know it was Yue.”

“Oh,” Katara replied. “Well, sometimes, Sokka and I, we like to think Yue is watching over us, helping us when we’re in trouble.” 

“That’s a nice sentiment,” Zuko told her, glancing up at the half moon in the sky. “You think she’s watching over you now?”

“I hope so,” Katara told him, sitting up and pulling her knees to her chest. “How else are we going to win this war?”

Zuko glanced at her. “Is that what’s on your mind?”

“That and… everything else,” Katara said. “I don’t know, I’m just frustrated. There’s a war going on and I’m stuck cleaning Sokka’s smelly socks.”

Zuko tentatively placed an arm around her shoulders. When she didn’t shrug him off, he pulled her closer to him. Unable to hold it in any longer, Katara flung herself on Zuko, burying her face in his chest. Though surprised, Zuko placed his other arm around her, gently patting her back.

“I’m sorry, Katara,” he stated, unsure of what to do.

“It’s just, there is so much going on,” Katara cried, her voice somewhat muffled against Zuko’s tunic. “I don’t know what to do anymore. Sometimes, I feel like everyone looks to me to solve their problems.”

“That’s not fair to you,” Zuko said. “Katara, you’re just a kid.”

Katara sniffed and looked up at him. “I know that.”

“None of this is fair,” Zuko told her. “Remember what I told you, it’s okay to be angry.”

“I am angry!” Katara stated, finally pulling away from Zuko and sitting in front of him. “Angry that we have to hide, angry that we’re expected to stop a war, angry that I do everything for everyone. Just. Angry.”

“So be angry!” Zuko told her. “But, Katara, listen, you’re not alone in this world.”

“I know, but-”

“No buts,” Zuko interrupted. “You have Sokka. You have Aang. You have Toph and Suki. You have me.”

“I do have you don’t I?” Katara asked him. 

“Yes, you do,” Zuko agreed. “And I know you only just forgave me and everything, but I want you to know I’m always here by your side. I’ll do anything to help you.”

Katara’s heart caught in her throat. Her journey to forgive Zuko wasn’t an easy one, but once she finally let go of her resentment, forgiveness came easy. She never expected to have Zuko in her corner, but knowing that he was just made her feel better than she had in ages. In a way, though they’ve only just begun trusting each other again, Katara felt as though Zuko knew her in every way possible. Somehow, Katara thought, Zuko just understood her. 

“Zuko, you know you’re just a kid too?” Katara asked him. “You don’t have to pull everyone else’s weight either.”

“I’m seventeen years old,” Zuko scoffed. “Barely a kid.”

Katara reached up, gently placing a hand on Zuko’s scarred cheek. “You were a kid when you got this though, weren’t you?”

Zuko closed his eyes and nodded. “I was banished at thirteen.”

“So you had to grow up too,” Katara stated. 

Zuko nodded again, placing his hand over hers. “Yes.”

Katara pulled her hand away from Zuko’s face, his hand slowly resting on his lap. 

“I’m sorry,” Zuko stated, slightly turning red.

“For what?” 

“Just… everything,” Zuko told her.

Katara moved so that she was now sitting directly next to Zuko. “You don’t have to apologize for anything anymore. I think you understand me more than anyone else right now.”

“I’m glad I could help,” Zuko replied. “Strangely enough, I was thinking the same thing about you.”

Katara smiled and placed her head on Zuko’s shoulder. He rested his head against hers, the two looking back up at the stars.

Katara was no longer angry. 


End file.
